Tori Sparks is an American singer-songwriter living in Barcelona, Spain. She is known for her unconventional lyrics and her blending of folk, rock, and blues influences. Her sixth album, La Huerta, is a collaboration with flamenco fusion trio Calamento.

Press

"Tori Sparks is a courageous woman... Her new album is in keeping with the tendency to push the envelope that has continually marked the career of this particular artist... she's an adventurer.” –Rolling Stone (Spain)

“Her emotion is genuine and affecting, the [Spanish guitar] is superlative, and the arrangements are daring... there’s something vital and ambitious about this album. Intriguing, impassioned... La Huerta is a fresh plant.” –Songlines (UK)

“The talented Tori Sparks... is a knock-out!"–The Village Voice (US)

"There are dates that should be circled on your calendar, and the live recording of a Tori Sparks album is one of them ... [Tori] let leash all of her considerable art and that of a band that is worth its weight in gold ... The new song 'Wait' No More’ was the highlight of the night." —Popular1 (Spain)

“Sparks has a soulful style and a wide, wide range. The worldly influences are clearly evident... This is a major work here and is as deserving of a broad based audience as much as anything I have heard in the last few months. I don’t think it took me even a full listen for me to judge her new album as one of the better albums of the year.” –Folkworld (Germany)

"With a warm and elegant sound and a dead-on choice of material… in La Huerta we find an artist in her full glory who is on the scene to stay. Without a doubt one of the strong points of the album is its impeccable production by Sparks herself, which paints in light and shadow every detail of a great creative journey, at times recalling the magnificent work of Javier Limón… Icaro Lavia wrote about [Sparks'] album release concert in Barcelona: "Tori Sparks sings with that made-in-America attitude that causes her to seem like the empress of the whole world." Amén." –Muzikalia (Spain)

"When a formula really works, it's worth it to keep exploring it a second time around. Without fear and without asking permission. With El Mar (2014), the American singer-songwriter Tori Sparks created something truly excellent… Passionate. Fierce. Powerful. Concepts that are often lost in this world plagued with soulless music." –DirtyRock (Spain)

"With over 200 concerts a year, Tori is one of the most hard working women in the music business...Tori Sparks is a great singer-songwriter who works with many great artists. This album is top in its genre!” –Keys and Chords (Belgium)

"Tori Sparks is almost a flamenco singer. Almost, because she halls from Nashville (Tennessee), the Music City, and doesn't do orthodox flamenco. Her fusion isn't limited just to musical styles... And live on stage? Emotive, joyful. Full of subtleties, like her music." –Qualsevolnit (Spain)

“Many have attempted to fust of rock and flamenco, they’ve worn themselves out trying, and failed. The fact than an American is forging a clear new path in this complicated direction is both daring and respectable at the same time… [La Huerta] is an interesting tightrope walk… traditional details… blues and rock… very good.” –Sound and Image (Germany)

"[Tori Sparks + Calamento] smash traditional concepts of genre, and push the group's daring mix of musical flavors into even further into uncharted territory. [Tori Sparks] continues to experiment with new sounds without sacrificing the unique combination of styles that won them fans the world over with El Mar." –TimeOut Barcelona (Spain)

"You'd have to be very brave to successfully pull off project like this one, and Tori Sparks is exactly that." –Ruta66 (Spain)

“Tori Sparks never leaves you feeling indifferent... her strong personality comes through in all of her work. She is well worth discovering.” –Sur La Route de Memphis (France)

"[Tori Sparks] has developed an innate capacity to observe and reflect the world around her in the form of a song. She has nipped in the bud any question of stylistic limitation.... She has vaulted over the barrier of the classic American ‘singer-songwriter’ to become something much more profound, more global, more multidimensional. And furthermore, she's managed to it with such style..." –Efe Eme (Spain)

“One quickly learns to recognize Tori... The production gives the songs the weight they were meant to have, and the textual meaning is reinforced by the distinctly talented instrumentalists playing behind her. It is an album that captures it’s audience immediately. When I played it at home with people visiting, the questions came spontaneously: 'Who is this? Who is the singer? What's her name?'” –Roosty (Sweden)

“Tori Sparks’ new album is a flawless collection by a name that deserves to be far better known, and an artist whose back catalogue I'll now be tracking down.” –NetRhythms (UK)

"Tori [Sparks] is a creature of the stage, she posseses an absolute mastery of communication and ironic understatement, a refreshingly total lack of self-consciousness and sizzling sense of humor. With the bearing of a Hollywood star, a voice full of very 'American' nuances and pointed intention, with perfect technique and impressive flexibility, she is a singer of the highest caliber. …Her songs exude authenticity and she presents them force that at times comes close to the catharsis of Janis Joplin, and even the versions of other artists’ songs are a real pleasure to listen to as a result of the huge departure from the original. She makes them her own.” –IDEAL (Spain)

"Originally from Nashville, Tori Sparks is known for her brilliant and innovative lyrics... she creates a relaxed atmosphere to great effect, her intense and sensual performances never fail to captivate the audience." –La Nazione (Italy)

“Fiery, gutsy delivery. 5 of 5 stars."–All Music Guide (US)

"Tori Sparks has carved a place for herself in the European music scene thanks to an intense musical style that doesn't sound quite like anybody else... she has done all this work practically on her own. The American singer has given a nod towards the genre of Flamenco and even recorded half of the album in Spanish, along with Calamento, an instrumental group that perfectly blends with Tori's own unique style." –Cadena SER (Spain)

“Sparks' talent for brewing great songs is already clear from the first notes... The way Sparks tells a story through song, and even manages in a mere four minutes to bring the listener from a smile to a tear and bring back, is phenomenal. Let nothing stop you from listening to Tori Sparks.” –Rootstime (Belgium)

"Indescribable, I loved it... a new form of 'Barcelones-Americana' fusion. Highly recommended, it's worth it to look her up discover for yourself the result of this incredibly interesting mix of styles." –Deruting (Spain)

“A great vocalist with a strong and distinctive style... evocative lyrics and catchy tunes... lyrics straight from the heart.” –Rock Society (UK)

"In riveting intensity, she has mastered the marrow-deep conviction and passion that made Janis such a phenomenon. By a factor of 10, Sparks is a true full-spectrum artist... a movingly hypnotic instrument of thickly painted canvases. Greco-esque in smoldering storminess and power. In truth, try as I might, I can't summon up a comparative except in the male domain: Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Randy Newman.” –FAME (US)

"The arrangements… speak with a sound of their own, infused with incomparable voice of Tori. It's precisely this kind of cultural hybrid that allows music to grow, to evolve, inventing new sonic landscapes." –Free World (Spain)

“Tori Sparks’ compositions and arrangements are again excellent, and just like the last album... her vocal style is intense and expressive.” –Real Roots Cafe (Sweden)

"The North American singerTori Sparks... has demonstrated time and time again that she is not daunted, not by anyone or anything. Thanks to this self-assuredness and artistic audacity, she has shown us that Led Zeppelin's 'Kashmir' can be transformed into flamenco, and even had the guts to take on 'La Leyenda del Tiempo' by Camarón and turn it into a soulful blues. And even more importantly, she does both well, and has come out of this new album triumphant. With a powerful, personal, expressive voice that rings out clear and unencumbered, guitars that leap across the aural spectrum from acoustic to electric, and arrangements that mix fusion with flamenco, make this album a Pandora's Box of delightful surprises." –Diario Abierto (Spain)

"The music speaks for itself, just press play." –Culturaca (Spain)

“Each song is like a little history or story... they are different but they are somehow connected. Musically, Tori [Sparks] succeeds in mixing different genres into a glorious and beautiful blend... Tori really manages to convey all the emotions that a human can feel.” –Ikon Magazine (Germany)

“Tori has obviously lived the stories she weaves... and she not only sings, she can also play. The often shockingly good text of the songs are built on a musical 'background' of many colors ...Fortunately, Tori Sparks, is not in the camp of those artists of whom they say, ‘if you’ve heard one, you’ve heard them all.’ The songs are diverse, and each contains a spark of the unusual. They will convert anyone who listens." –Gondoal (Hungary)

“Tori Sparks is well-known on the Americana scene. She is a singer-songwriter -- but one of those who redeems her own material with courage, and above all a coherent vision. It is that -- combined with an obvious songwriting talent and a flair for surrounding herself with solid musicians - that makes her music so interesting... The music emerges as forceful and significant, characterized by fascinating, raw vocals." –Gaffa (Denmark)

"Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen.... I can see [Tori’s] name printed boldly amongst these illustrious phenomena... Words fail me to describe why I enjoy her music so much." –Folkwax (Canada)

"In the time that I’ve known Tori Sparks, there’s been more than one occasion when I’ve wondered if she was an actual person or possibly an amalgamation of fact and fiction like a legendary folklore character. In other words, she’s epic. Sparks is a classic troubadour who melds verse and melody to create emotionally driven literary vignettes that engage, seduce and enrich with a preternatural prowess." –Lower Southampton Patch (US)

“Sparks has made quite a name for herself... be sure to catch her while she is in town.” –The Prague Post (Czech Republic)

“As brave and innovative as ever, Tori uses her spectacular voice as never before. Her inimitable talent shines through, making irrelevant questions as to whether this music is folk, rock, or flamenco. Bravo.” –MondoSonoro (Spain)

“A flawless work where Tori’s voice and the music mix together with delightful aggression and sensuality... It's hard to find comparisons, Magnificent!" –Le Cri du Coyote (France)

“A disc filled with fire and rhythm. Tori sings with an intense and unforgettable voice… accompanied by quintet [Calamento] and master of the guitar El Rubio, she presents her melancholic songs with a fierce fervor. The source of her strength is the wildness of the ‘garden’ [that is her sixth album La Huerta], and these songs are its fruits. This is an album I will listen to again and again!” —Folkmagazin (Germany)

"What a pleasure to have her in the studio, Tori Sparks has a spectacular voice. She left us with our mouths hanging open from the first notes ... it's the first time I've fallen madly in love with the voice of a singer." –Todos Somos Sospechosos, Radio3 (Spain)

“Tori Sparks sounds like one tough, passionate cookie. Her voice has the gritty blues of countrified Etta James and the cool growl of Janis Joplin... It's obvious that Tori Sparks is the real thing.”–Unsigned Magazine (US)

"With the grit of Chrissie Hynde, the sadness of Martha Davis in the Motels, and the pure sensualness of Margo Timmins from the Cowboy Junkies, this girl hurls you onto planet Sparks and leaves you there ...[Sparks] is truly, one of the most original artists I have heard in a long, long time." –Music News Nashville (US)

"In La Huerta, Tori Sparks reinforces the emotional web she wove with El Mar, though with even more energy and poise, if that's possible. A torrential force that enchants and caresses with its almost animal sensuality. La Huerta is, in short, a great place to get lost for an hour. " –RockSesion (Spain)

"An American woman who heads a flamenco fusion band in Barcelona, who even attempts her own versions of Led Zepplin's 'Kashmir' or the almost untouchable song 'La Leyenda Del Tiempo,' forever associated with the cantaor Camarón? Admittedly, the reviewer was skeptical, but from the first notes of the album [La Huerta], the sixth by singer-songwriter Tori Sparks, I was happy to stand corrected... the skillful instrumentation makes even her cover songs more powerful than their original versions." –Folker (Germany)

“Tori can rock so seductively then revert to a striking emotive process... there is nothing formulaic about her that you can pigeon-hole."–Media Search Magazine (Australia)

"Absolute admiration... this woman has the ability to speak the universal language with an unusual depth. The musical terrain that she navigates is full of delicate contrasts: Passion, sensitivity, and a perfect beauty that up until this moment only some of the real revolutionaries of the music scene, such as Camarón, Dylan or The Beatles, have achieved. Authenticity, determination and power are synonymous with the name Tori Sparks. These ingredients are necessary to combat these very complicated times that we are living in.” –La Hormingonera Rock (Spain)

“[Tori Sparks] comes across as a forceful and dynamic performer. At times she comes across with an elemental force...There is a muscular depth to the songs with plenty of light and shade.” –Americana UK (UK)

“A sensuous blend of folk, blues and rock. ... Sparks proves herself a soulful songwriter and vocalist who at once manages both strength and vulnerability. An assured, auspicious disc that should bring [Sparks] deserved national attention. 4 of 4 stars." –Creative Loafing (US)

"[La Huerta] is mpeccably sung (what a voice!), played and produced." -Rockdelux (Spain)

“Tori was simply spectacular onstage! She is a true star with such enthusiasm... completely original music that dives deeply into the hearts and minds of those lucky enough to see/hear her in person. Her stage presence is stunning.” –CHLY 107.3FM Toronto (Canada)